


Anchorage

by yausah



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Drama & Romance, F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-07-12 03:18:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19939339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yausah/pseuds/yausah
Summary: The little otter was stronger than the sharks.





	1. A little outter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys :)  
> Thanks you for reading. This work was written 4 years ago when the third episode just has came out. So my work is with a strange plot but at that moment I could not know how it ends. 
> 
> I am non native English speaker but I am try to do my best translating this work. Thank you again :)

The sun was slowly setting over the horizon, illuminating Blackwell’s campus with a bright orange light. Max closed her eyes and felt how cool wind got under the T-shirt and goosebumps was running down the body. She couldn't use to having her rewind powers because she always was thinking that this is possible only in books and movies. It was so unreal and… scary? Yes, almost everybody is dreaming about such kind of power but Max was afraid of irreversible consequences and didn't un-derstand how she could use it for good. 

“Nobody should know about it or they will be considered that I am going crazy and I won't be just a weirdo and become a real psycho like Prescott”.

Max was tired of thinking about that happened but the head was like someone is drilling a hole in-side. She has one more problem for today. The first is the photo for contest, the second is Prescott with the gun in the bathroom, the third is the Kate’s death and her powerlessness. She thought about Nathan.

“Although he has a rich powerful parent and everything will get away murder. What about me? What do I have?”

Max snorted with displeasure because of unwittingly comparing her with a rich boy who is used to everyone spinning around him. 

“Er! Shit happens. I can’t tell about my powers even Warren although I could tell him only for one reason: he is a future scientist and better than me at such kind of staff. So, he could find some logical explanation of what has happened… I think so”  
Someone’s heavy hand lay on her shoulder and with a force snatched the headphones from her ears. Max only had time to flinch and open her eyes. The spoiled psycho caught up her in this position but she could hardly figure out what to do next, often blinking, trying to get rid of the yellow circles before her eyes.

' Max Caulfield, yeah? '– roared he and Max carefully stood up looking at his angry face and his light eyes which seems to be darker in the blindingly bright sunset. 

' What do you want?' – she was trying to make her voice rougher but Max was shaking inside. She understood that Nathan can do whatever he wants in that condition. 

' What do you think, bitch?' - he exhaled in her face, looking into her eyes. Max inwittingly shivered under this thorny, hate-filled look: - You ratted on me, principal Wells called my parents and you know, what? You know fucking slut?! Answer me!  
'How should I know?' – slowly said Max, stuttering a little, but he interrupted her slamming hard on the trunk of the tree to which he had pressed her.

'How you should know?!' – growled he: - I was suspended from classes. Because of you, Max-fucking-slut-Caulfield. 

'You threatened Chloe. You drugged Kate and now you dare to complain, son of the bitch?! – sud-denly screamed Max: - Did you really think that nobody knows and you, rich bastard, gets away with it?! 

Nathan unconsciously stopped, recoiling from her. Max Caulfield - a quiet, self-confident weido from the Jefferson class now looked more like a fighting breed dog, rather than a cowardly Chihuahua, which Blackwell knew her to be.  
'You and your slutty girlfriend Victoria are mocking her and when Kate has gone you dare to say something, Prescott? Pray to God so that no one will know that you are guilty in this story, pray to God that I should not go to the police or go straight to your father!

The memories about how she was helplessly trying to dissuade Kate from jumping, it was hurt to un-derstand that Kate committed suicide because of her. The tears were throbbed in her throat, which nipped her nose and eyes, covering Prescott’s face and the rest of the world with veiling. Max hates herself for doing nothing to help Kate, for not supporting her enough, for declining her call when she needed her the most. She just rubbed the link from the mirror in the bathroom and this was so child-ish and a little even hypocritical, but did nothing for people who cared her the most, helped her to became the part of Blackwell’s community and become the first friend here. She hated herself for being coward and pity. She is no better than Victoria or Nathan, who openly mocked poor Kate. Try-ing to make amends to Chloe, she completely forgot about those who helped her from the first days.

"Police? Hah, are seriously? The are corrupted" Nathan quickly and indistinctly muttered. "They are bought by my father and you don’t dare to blame me for what has happened to your religious idiot. Nobody forced her to go. 

"Nobody gave you a right to dragged Kate despite of all religious propaganda. You and your sluts knew that it was her first serious party." said Max. 

The indistinct grunt of Nathan, who tried to seem to be the complete bastard, poised him as guilty before Kate.

Not waiting a minute Max quickly goes to the dorm, hearing Nathan is talking trash about her. Hands and legs don’t move properly because of fear: she is shaking inside and outside. It was the first time when max Caulfield fought off, not being frightened and not beginning to babble something absurd. She realized that Prescott didn’t forget about it but Max wasn’t going to keep silence. She stepped in the dark hall of dorm, noticing how silent it is. Nobody makes toilet paper fight; the music does not rattle and the usual girlish drama does not play out. Light from Dana's room poured into a dark hall and Max quickly slid forward, not daring to stop by and talk to Dana who looked upset.

Unwittingly Max felt how the poisonous bile rise. All these lovely words and wishes on the name-plates next to the doors of the rooms aroused only anger and indignation from hypocrisy. When Kate was alive, nobody pays attention to her; they preferred not to notice and keep watching this dirty video than just to try to delete it and to dissuade others from watching. Nobody wants to stand up for poor girl. Everyone frankly laughed at her or did nothing, but now she died and Blackwell seemed to be in agreement: Kate's photos hung everywhere and flowers and candles were carried to the improvised memorial.

“Bastards…” 

Max exhaled angry, falling on the bed. There are a few messages were sent from Chloe but Max decided not to answer because she just wasn’t ready for it. Her rewind powers disappear when she need then the most but she just spent it on foolish things like shooting bottles and walking for railways. 

“I got this power after Nathan shot Chloe… I saved her life twice and can be sure that all these things are connected with her, but how? This snowstorm and tornado… I couldn’t save Kate but how can I save Arcadia? 

Max closed her eyes, feeling how tired of all this shit that happened in just two days she is. A phone squeaked nearby. Max squinted and read the message sent from an unknown number: "You are stu-pid, Caulfield."

“As you wish”

Max was terribly tired from all these threats and she was 1000% sure than Nathan is doing it. He can’t do it openly because otherwise Max will have got evidence about his participation on every-thing has happened in Blackwell. 

“Although he has been reviled himself when he attacked me today. But I was honest with him and it means that all this shit happens because of him and people like Victoria, - Max turned the right side, putting her phone away, - But I am sure only in one thing: he didn’t kidnap Rachel Ember. Everyone was adored about her and he is no exception. He may know where she is … Or guess”. 

Max closed her eyes, turned off the sound on the phone, and slowly fell into a dream.

The coast of Arcadia Bay was in absolute silence interrupted only by the sound of the surf. Max slowly stood up the sand and could recognize with effort the dark figure standing in front. She seemed familiar to her, but Max, having decided not to rush to conclusions, slowly stepped forward, wondering why it had suddenly become so dark: she turned around - not a single neon sign shone, illuminating the shore. Only the dark endless sky and the stars are nailed it to a height.

-Er… Hey, - said Max, moving closer to the figure. 

The figure doesn’t make a single move although Max started to realize that it is female figure.  
-I am sorry, can you…

Max could not finish the line when the figure turned to her and she saw the face of Kate Marsh. White, with huge blue eyes, it seemed to glow in the dark. Her eyes still fixed on Max, looking into her face, as if trying to find out something, but in those eyes, there was no anger or hatred. Kate spoke slowly and quietly.

\- Forgive me, Max ... Forgive me. It is not your fault. So, it should be. So, it became easier. I no long-er feel pain, - she smiled faintly. - You did everything you could. You were with me. You were with me there ... On the roof and I almost believed you, but it could not continue. I must…

\- Kate… Kate, you shouldn’t. Kate, they are all seek bastards who wants to show how hard they are sorry but they don’t. I am so fucking sorry, Kate! It is my fault because I did not rib all this crap that they wrote on your nameplate. It is my fault because I asked you not going to the police! I even didn’t ask you about family but you are so important for them. I didn’t support you because I was with my old friend and was trying to apologize. I am sorry, Kate. I am so sorry… 

Tears rose to her throat, squeezing and making it difficult to talk. Max felt that her eyes are full of tears and it is getting hurt in her chest. Max wanted to touch Kate but she gave her a warm smile and exhaled:

\- You are not guilty, Max. Thank you. I should go. You don’t belong to this place. 

Max was trying to scream but a harsh knock at the door woke her up. Heart was beating in her chest frantically, taping the tap, and her eyes were wet, as if she were crying. The dream was realistic and Kate too.

"Kate ... Forgive me."

A knock on the door became more persistent and it trembled with kicks.

\- What the fuck are you all want from me?!

Max stood up and open the door sharply with anger face. She was frozen from what of she saw. 

It was Nathan Prescott as himself. He wasn’t angry and there was mockery in his eyes and something else…

\- How long are you going to stare at me, Caulfield?". Asked he with mockery, pushing Max away and going inside of the room. He was looking around the room and slowly said:

\- Nice room. It is suite for hipster weirdo. 

\- What do you want? 

She frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I came to talk,” he shrugged independently, sitting comfortably on the sofa. – So, are going to stand and stare any longer? Look, you can take a place of our totem. You will be a kind of Mecca for hipsters and geeks.

\- What are you going to talk about? - Max narrowed her eyes. - Scared of daddy, who will take all money away?

“Fuck the money,” he said. “Do not threaten me, Caulfield.”

This phrase was said calmly and even a little tired.

“Really? What is about all SMS, hah? It is threats from you”

Max was ready to throw something heavy. 

“What? What are you talking about?”

Nathan was surprised no less than Max, who, looking into Prescott's long face, quite seriously decid-ed that he did not sent her a threat.

\- Enough! You know what I mean,” Max continued, leaning on the nightstand. For a minute they looked into each other's eyes: one with hatred, the other with overt surprise and irritation.

“Will we play in the staring contest?” - Nathan grinned and nervously ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know what kind of SMS you’re talking about, Caulfield, maybe it is progressive paranoia ...”

“Look who's talking! - snort girl.

“Enough! I pay to the specialists,” he growled irritably, but he stopped himself from insults. Max was surprised and waiting for contuining. 

“What exactly did you come to talk about?” Asked Caufield, sitting down on the bed. 

The head buzzed as if it were cast-iron and someone beats on it with an iron rod with all its might.

“About the debt of your friend,” Nathan ominously smiled, as if wishing to show how much pleasure he was given by other people's problems. “Do you know how much she owes?”

“Chloe? No, I mean… What is the problem?

Max close the mouth. She knew that Chloe owes Frank a lot of money but she has no idea where Chloe can find it, counting percentages which were paid by gun. 

“So, do you know that she owes the bunch of bucks? And we both remember that she has never seen such sums before”. Nathan continued to mock, looking at how confidence disappears from Max’s face. 

“So, I came to you with a business proposal: you see, our common friend tried to bleed money out me ...” he sustained a dramatic pause. “Money. A lot of money. Bleed out Prescotts. You know, usually we bleed out money not out us. Only your lfriend didn’t take into account that I’d just give some money to some punk girl I...” he clicked his tongue. - I cannot. Need a fee. For good money. About five thousand dollars, catch it?

Max swallowed nervously. She did not know what the amount of Chloe’s debt to Frank was, but she knew for sure that she needed to pay three thousand dollars for a car.

“You see,” Nathan nodded in satisfaction. “Today I can charge you a fee. Your stupid blue-haired friend will receive the full amount and even more, if I ... I like it.

“What? What does it means? Stop talking dirt and get out of here!”

Nathan abruptly got up from the couch and walked over to Max, who looked up at him in surprise. The guy gently took her chin, making the girl's eyes widen, and she was already vaguely aware of what Nathan wanted.  
“Fuck off Prescott!” - she soared, pushing him away. - Do you like making a porn?!

“Fool!” he hissed and grabbed her neck, pressing her against the cabinet, on which hung the sched-ule. “You just go for a walk with me ... This is my price. Just walk.”

“What? Are you completely out of your mind” Max grabbed his arm, which he squeezed her neck. “What the fuck are you talking about? Victoria…”

“Fuck Victoria! Get ready, Caulfield!”

He abruptly opened the door and pushed her out.

Max did not have time to think as Nathan dragged her to the exit from the girl's dorm room. The girl wanted to run into Dana's room, but she felt a gun against her back.

“Just fight,” he whispered in his ear. “Finish like your poor Kate.”

Max obediently fell silent. They remained silent until they crossed the campus. The full moon estab-lished its rights over the city, scattering stars across the dark veil of the sky. In the silence of the night one could hear the distant wild voices of young people who were probably sitting by the fire, warming themselves from alcohol. Max shivered: it was getting colder, although October was a sur-prisingly warm month this year. It was terrible in Nathan's car. He hit the gas abruptly and they whis-tled to the highway, which was surrounded by dark fir trees, which seemed to be a single wall in the light of the headlights.

‘I can rewind! I can fight against him! I can call for help!”

The thoughts were hysterical and beat inside of scalp but Max understand only one thing – this is the only way to help Chloe with money. Frank was serious about promising to kill Chloe if she will not return money back. Of course. Max will understand that Chloe don’t know where she can find such a big sum. And there were no ways to get it quickly. Unless if they rob a bank or shop.

Max sneaked a glance at Prescott, who was steadily driving east, somewhere past ‘Two Whales’.  
“Max, will you be the new Kate Marsh? Or Rachel Amber? Or both? In any case, you can rewind time."

Ten minutes later, Nathan turned right and parked at the pastry shop, which was open surprisingly to Max.

‘Go!”

"God, Max, what are you doing?"

She stepped into a bright pastry shop, smelt full of cakes and cinnamon with fragrant coffee mixed together. Nathan waved to someone and gestured to a table in the corner.

“Oh, how cute” Max thought sarcastically. ” Instead of driving me in the trash, he invited me to the sugar world. Why would you get sweet Prescott?”

Max sat up, looking at the pastry shop and looking at how Nathan talk to the saleswoman about their evening menu. It was quite nice and a little vintage, considering the wooden chairs with carved backs, nice tables covered with expensive varnish, red curtains tied with blue ribbons on the floor.

"Surely, the Prescott owns a pastry shop ... Like everything else in Arcadia Bay."

Nathan returned five minutes later. He sat down imposingly on a chair, watching Max look on his face, who examined the room with interest. Nathan was a sick psycho, but he had a taste.

“Like it?” he asked calmly.

“Nice,” Max answered dryly, not daring to show more emotion.

If she was here with Kate or Warren, she probably would have told what a cool place it was and they should have come here more often, but her companion was not considered to be in awe.

“Nice? What’s all?’ Prescott grinned. ‘Usually the girls scream with delight and rush to take a selfie’.

“Victoria despises selfie, doesn’t it?”

“You know too little about her, just like everyone else,” Nathan shrugged, looking at the waitress ar-ranging mugs of coffee and buns next to Max. She smiled easily at Prescott, not paying any attention to Max.

“You like him, right?”

“How noble” 

She snorted, looking at French buns and realizing that Nathan had ordered the most expensive coffee in Arkady Bay.

Having entered Blackwell, Max learned to distinguish a cheap and expensive thing: she could easily distinguish viscose from silk and elite coffee from a simple one. Smell, color, texture - everything was different. Cheap stuff smelled a little rancid, killing the whole rich aroma of real coffee.

“If I were you, I would not show off. When you can still afford real coffee from Italy” he said dryly, sipping a little drink from his mug.

Max did not dare touch either the coffee or the buns. Too strong was the example of Kate Marsh, who drank only water and took a sip of wine and woke up as the "star" of the viral porn video.

‘Stop sitting like it is a funeral, Caulfield. Your coffee is in perfect condidtion ... Kate Marsh and everything, I know” Nathan grinned wryly.

“Still admit guilt Prescott!”

“So, this is the fee?” Max asked, looking at the white frosting covering the bun.

“Not yet”, he answered. “Be a bit more cheerful. It feels like a zombie chills with me. Do you behave like that with that weak guy? You don’t want to bury another friend, right?

“Fuck you,” Max breathed softly.

‘Hey, let me motivate you, eh?’ Nathan slyly squinted and pulled out of the inner pocket of his jacket tight bundle of money. “Here is everything Chloe needs and more. I would say so much more to get out of here forever.”  
Max frowned.

“Okay,” she nodded meekly. “Good. Only money up front!”

She abruptly grabbed a bundle and was about to run, as Prescott blocked her way, pressing into the wall.

“Not so fast, bitch!”

"Rewind, Max, rewind!"

The pictures of previous actions floated before her eyes again, and millions of voices in fast-winding froze in her ears. She remarked with pleasure how her money was bagged. Now she could not be afraid to do whatever she wanted - the money is in her pocket.

“Hey, what about the money?” mockingly asked Max, biting off a little bit from the bun. Nathan reached into his inner pocket but was surprised to find no money. Just a couple of cents.

"One-Zero, Prescott"

“Do you think I'll carry so much money with me?”.

“As you wish”

She gave him a sweet smile, feeling pleasure from this little victory. 

The phone vibrated from the messages, but Max did not have a single opportunity to find out who wants to see her. Prescott, seeing that their improvised date was not going according to his plan, sharply grabbed Max by the hand and promised to take away the phone if she reaches out for it. Max nevertheless decided to drink some coffee and noted that the taste is simply wonderful.

“Oh, how brave,” Nathan said mockingly. “Do you want a medal for honor?”

“If I vomit on you, then - yes. I want medal of Honor” said Max. “What the hell do you want, Prescott?” Why would you be nice to me when yesterday you promised to kill me?”

“Caulfield, are you a fool or pretending to be so?” he sighed wearily.”Yes. I know that I did yesterday, but ... It was yesterday, right? Right. Now everything is wrong. You think I would hang out with you here to kill on everyone's mind? I would have hired a hitman then, if you had totally pissed me off. I am hanging out with you because ... Because I have to shut you up even for a while. I would not do many things if your friend would not bleed money out me, and you would be in the toilet”.

“Yeah, come on, blame on me” Max replied gloomily. ” Your father will do everything to prevent you from being sent to prison. So, don't complain, Prescott.

“Are you stupid, Caulfield?’, he waved. “I have a lot of lawyers, but ... Will they be able to save me from you? From this fucking obsession that haunts me from the first moment I just saw you in Jefferson in class? If money could save me from you, Caulfield, I would give you everything I have. I'm not such an asshole as they say”.

Max paused silently. For the first time in her life, someone told her that she was someone's obsession. If it was Warren, it would be much easier and easier, but this is Nathan Prescott. Nathan, motherfucker, Prescott.

“I ... I…You ...”

He did not let her finish. Nathan rose his eyes to heaven and said softly and clearly:

‘Yes, I like you ... Max. I like you. And I am afraid of this. I hate you for it, Max Caulfield. I hate being so ... different. You do not care about gossip, "Vortex", me, Victoria, the ordinary people. Your little world keeps you at a distance from those who can bite your neck without choking. But sharks are afraid of otters, right? I would easily bite off your head, break it in half, destroy it, but ... The little wierdo otter was stronger than shark. It is funny, huh?

Max was silent unable to believe what she was hearing. Even superpower faded against the background of this confession, even if it was said in Nathan’s favorite manner.

“Yes, there is a little,” she smiled weakly. “What about Victoria? Sharks live with sharks, don’t they?”

“It's nothing you can do.” he shrugged. “I know I'm acting like a bastard, but ... Give me a chance, Max.”

Max stared at his pale face for a long time, on which nervousness was with hope. She could not an-swer him. The memory of Kate, Chloe and others whom the ‘Vortex’ and its “sharks” conquered did not give her peace of mind. She averted her eyes.

The little otter was stronger than the sharks.


	2. Farewell

Max returned to dorm past midnight. On the way from the pastry shop she barely spoke to Nathan, choosing not to look at him and remembering his unusual confession. He said a word, perhaps, he was trying to keep the image of man who can do whatever he wants. In her rooms she fell on the bed, getting undressed and pushing away the bag with money. It should be saved Chloe. Her sleep-ing was quite and considering that all the events that had taken place earlier, she was exhausted and had no dreams at that night.   
Max woke up because of annoying vibration of the phone in the pocket of her sweater. She cursed someone who is calling so early morning, groaning, rolled onto her back and pulled the phone out of her hoody pocket. Without looking at the screen, she croaked:

“Hello?”

“Where are you?” Chloe's voice was dissatisfied.

“Chloe… My friend has gone. What feels should I have?” said Max with annoy at her voice.

Max noticed a strange characteristic of Chloe: if something wasn’t about her family and, especially, her, she preferred not to think a lot about other’s feelings. 

“Err... I am sorry, Max”. Her voice was full of regret. “Sorry, I was just worried about you and you didn’t pick up the phone the whole evening yesterday and I was afraid that something bad had hap-pened to you ... So ... are you alright?”

“How to say it!” Max grinned to herself, recalling the confession of Prescott, but she decided not to talk about it to Chloe, realizing that it would be like a hydrogen bomb explosion. The effect will be the same.

“I’m okay, don’t worry. Can we meet today at “Two Whales”? I have got a small gift for you. You will be happy about it I swear”. 

“Yes, we can! I am waiting for you, Mad Max.   
“Great. I don’t ask about gift I know that it will be awesome one” Chloe grinned. “See you soon, Max.

“Do not doubt, Chloe. You will really like this gift ... You can leave Arcadia and start the new life and forget about everything that happened and pay to Frank,” she thought.

She slowly sat down, staring blankly at one corner where CDs and books were piled up in one heap.   
While sulking and rubbing her eyes, Max spanked into the shower stall, feeling that she was sweating away from her and she looked like as if she had been tortured all night or just morally mocked. Alt-hough it was a truth on some point of view: a date with Prescott is like a special form of moral vio-lence. You never know what this psycho will do and whether he will shoot you in a fit of anger. He needed to be treated. Max understood this but it also seemed to her that he was getting worse taking the pills. She thought that the treatment has the wrong effect on him: doctors try to save his cracked mind but it getting waste and worse. 

“Maybe. There is something Nathan lucks? It is not the fame of photographer or money… Gosh, he already has gotten a wealthy parent and a lot of cash so what does he wants?”

Max thought, standing under the warm water streams and soaping the body with a sweet gel.   
“But then what? He could not just tell me about his ... Sympathy. We are too different with him and he understands this, but then why me? Why not Victoria? They cut from the same cloth. Why did this shitty week start with me and always involve me in another piece of shit that I have to learn to get rid of?”

Max was disgust only about the realizing of everything what has happened between Nathan and she yesterday. The strangest thing was about that Prescott can be a normal person who doesn’t try to pretend the rich spoiled person who are used to use people and mock them for no reason. Yesterday he was like everyone else. 

«Or it seems to be so and I dint know anything about people’s mind”

Max thought, throwing wet towel on her shoulder. She returned to her room ang stopped in front closet, looking at her clothes. Blue jeans and a pink T-shirt were her usual outfit but today she want-ed something unusual. She ran her hand over the clothes hanging on the hangers. She came across a wine-colored dress that she swore to her mother to get dressed but never had a special occasion. Max touched soft fabric, stopped for a little and waived head. 

“This black skirt looks cute but I need tights.”

Mach opened the bottom drawer of the bedside table and took out black tights. Putting on her skirt, she looked at herself in the mirror, noting how uncomfortable and strange she felt in these clothes.

“Victoria’s style” grinned Max and put on a yellow polo shirt with a red rose on the right side.

"I look super weird ... I look like a bad version of Victoria Chase. But my old clothes remind me of bad things. I wonder, if Dana will lend me her makeup, eh?”

Max started laughing nervously, touching her hips in a tight short skirt. Her figure was rough and tumble.

“Perhaps I should check my mail” she thought, sitting at the table and skipping a couple of dozen insults because of Kate's death. “I will receive these messages for the rest of my life. Why do they only know how to blame? Why did they not to do anything when she was on the verge? Why did you silently look at how she stood on the edge of the roof and even tried to film it? A bunch of bas-tards!”

Max skipped all these massages tiredly and angrily, until she found the strangest one. This e-mail ad-dress consisted only of numbers and some letters there was only four words:

“Do it for her”

“Great! Is Nathan making fun again?”

The e-mail address was invalid and Max was staring at “404” page. 

The question was purely rhetorical and she didn’t want to hear the answer, so she just asked into the void. There was no desire to talk with Prescott after yesterday and even more she didn’t want stay out of Victoria’s sight who, as Max heard the rumors, preferred to find a quite place to wait out hoopla about Kate’s death. Everyone know that she is guilty. 

Max shut the lid of the laptop and stared out the window where Justin was working on a new trick, He dragged a wide board and set it on the bricks as a springboard. The guy was very confused in or-der to overwhelm his fellow skateboarders with his skills. Strange thoughts were popping into Max’s head: the one was worse than another. She suddenly remembered a dream where Kate said that she didn’t blame her for anything, she remembered that they never knew where Rachel Amber had dis-appeared and she completely unprepared for the “Everyday Hero” contest. No, she makes notes, some sketches, and the stickers in her room are filled with ideas where to go to catch a good moment, but these ideas weren’t good enough to the contest. 

With all the powers that she has had and all things has had happed, she didn’t allow the brain to rest for a while, so she completely forgot about her primary task: learning. She entered Blackwell because she really wanted to find herself in the photographer's field, but as soon as she had a great opportuni-ty, she turned her attention to what seemed more important to her than the contest. In truth, Max was ashamed to look into the eyes of Jefferson, who saw her talent and once again she lied that she was looking for the right moment.

“You are so fake, Caulfield,” Max grimaced at her thoughts, realizing that she hadn’t moved her fin-ger in those two days. “At first, you were struggling because you couldn’t fit in, now you spend all your days with Chloe, having fun with your powers.”

At least Max could allow to tell the truth to herself and to agree on the idea that she really did do absolutely nothing during that time. Succumbed to the impulse Max pulled out the phone and, find-ing a Chloe in the contact list, and she wrote:

“Chloe, do you want to walk the streets of Arcadia Bay then?”

Unknown force forced Max to remove the pad of her finger from the button "Send".

“What is the point if I give money to Chloe and will ask her to leave Arcadia forever?”

She noticed a message from Warren, who invited her to take a walk in the evening or watch a movie in order to distract her from the thoughts of Kate's death. Max didn’t answer anything, just took a sweatshirt, took a bag with money and hurried to a bus station. After the rain, it smelled of freshness in the air, and the October sun was not so hot to warm the damp cold air. Max loved this weather: not too cold and not too hot, and the sunset gives a great effect on the photo. The yellow bus, a little rattling appeared on the corner and in a split second stopped next to her, sniffing at the automatic doors. Max went to the very end of the bus, covering her ears with headphones.

The sun warms her face and the shaking are soothed that’s why Max started to want sleeping. She didn’t want to see anyone, to think about anything. She would have given up a lot if the bus just took her away from this place, the contest, Chloe, deaths and disappearances. Max couldn’t blame Chloe: her offense was quite clear, but there were the problems that has been destroyed everything in life of a quiet and soft Max Caulfield. It was like a tornado. 

“Nathan, why are you doing this?” She asked herself mentally.” What the heck?! If I asked the ques-tion more clearly ... Your girlfriend is a gorgeous Victoria Chase, who suits you just as perfectly as a red scarf to a white dress. One cut from the same cloth, same principles, so what’s the hell, Prescott?”

Thoughts were tired: this is the tiredness that occurs in a person who is tired of fighting, and just lets everything go to chance. Is Max tired? Rather yes, than no. The bus shook slightly, and she opened her eyes, seeing that in a couple of meters there would be her stop at Two Whales. Coming out of the bus, she noted that now, despite the height of the day, there was not a soul on the street, not even a homeless woman. Max, without thinking twice, entered the cafe, noting that today was somehow empty: there was no one at the counter, and Max went to the table near window, simultaneously reading messages from Chloe. She was supposed to appear from minute to minute. A little nervously, Max touched the money through the fabric of the bag. There was so much that could not even imag-ine that it can be spent on any nonsense.

“I wonder how soon Prescott realized that the money had disappeared?”

The door swung open and Chloe entered. She looked terribly interested and, flopping in front of Max, asked:

“What a gift? And… You are so…” – she stopped for a moment choosing a word. “You are… You look cute, I think”

“Cute? Do you mean I look like a “Victoria Chase and her bitches” for the poor?”

“I can say so. I couldn’t remember when I saw you wearing such… Things”

“I am bad at cosplay” Max smiled.

Max, a little embarrassed, handed her bag across the table and asked to look inside. The first minutes nothing happened, that Chloe was not slow to comment:

“Caulfield, I do not want to upset you, but your bag is full of all sorts of stuff...”

“Look carefully,” the girl asked patiently. “At the very bottom is your gift”

Chloe, without ceremony, began to pull out on the table what she thought was “stuff” until her face froze in amazement. Chloe with horror and lust pulled money out of the bag. She was silent for a mi-nute, just looking at the hundreds of bucks that seemed to her something unattainable, and then said quietly:

“Fuck, Max ... How?”

She stared in amazement at the calm face of Max, who only replied:

“I hope this is enough to pay off Frank and leave Arcadia. As you wanted.”

“Did you rob a bank or shop? No, you got a money machine at dorm?” 

Chloe built the unthinkable arguments about where Max got the money from, but Max just smiled mysteriously and said:

“Who cares where I got it and in what way. The main thing is that now you are free from debt to Frank.”

“Fuck, Max. There are five thousand bucks, at least ... It's not enough just to get out of here and for-get about Frank The Asshole and stepdick, but to live beyond my means and ...”

“Stop!” Max frowned, bumping into Chloe's dreamy look. “Now you will swear to me that you will not spend this money on booze and weed. You will swear that you will leave from here and begin a new life, without getting into l shit. You swear that ...”

“Lord, Max! I swear, I swear by all the forces that exist in this world, that I, Chloe Price, will not dare to spend all these bucks to fucking shit like weed and so on”.

Speaking these words, she leaned her hands on the table, as if bowing to Max

“But you will tell me where you took the money,” Chloe said, looking up from the table.

“Let's skip this question indefinitely?” Max suggested. “Better call Frank and ask when you can re-pay.”

“Pf, when it comes to the money, this asshole appears faster than the paranoia of my stepdick,” Chloe snorted, pushing Max's things back into the bag and fastening it, threw it on her shoulder, rising ab-ruptly. “Come on. It's time to return the debt”.

Max went after Chloe with a firm gait, her mood had noticeably is getting better and now she almost jumped out of her pants with joy and the realization that this whole nightmare would soon end. She started the car and drove onto the road, heading for the beach of Arcadia.

“Beach?”

“Yeah, this is his favorite place: far away and no one is sticking his nose,” Chloe explained. «Alt-hough it would be nice if someone goes after him, but here everything is bought by the Prescotts so don’t jerk. So, you won't tell me where you got the money?

“No, let it remain an unsolved mystery for you, ”Max answered slyly. “By the way, do you think that Frank sells drugs to Nathan? He does not look like a man who takes a sedative ...”

“I don’t give a shit,” Chloe replied simply. “If this rich bastard dies from drugs, I will be happy as fuck and will dance on his grave. The only thing that is clear is that his father will not allow his son to die or be in prison. By the way, where have you been?”

“Nowhere,” Max lied. “Sleeping. Yesterday I could only do that. After the death of Kate and these insults, I don’t want anything except to lock myself in the room and never go anywhere.”

Chloe didn’t answer, but Max decided that she didn’t believe her, but at least for a while she won’t be asking awkward questions. It was clear that Chloe would not be amazed if she found out that yes-terday Mach had spent the night with Prescott Jr. 

Tall firs with green sharp crowns rose like candles into a clear blue sky, which in no way hints at the upcoming storm. Max wanted to protect the city from an upcoming storm and this is turned out to another problem. You might think Max had fewer problems than usual. Finally, the car slowed down in front of a small van, and Chloe cheerfully jumped out of the car and walked to Frank's dirty haven with dusty windows. Max could only suggest when the windows were washed for the last time. Her caricature was also drawn on the thickness of the dirt on the window. Salty air hit Max's nostrils, and she remarked with pleasure how pleasant it was for her to inhale a mixture of salt, spruce and fresh-ness with full breasts.

Near the van were scattered beer bottles, dog food residues, a pair of bones for Pumpidoo, and many traces lead from the van and further along the shore. Chloe, bracing herself, knocked on the door of the van, which opened a minute later, and a little imposing and slightly drunk man appeared in the doorway. He looked sick because of the excessive pallor and abuse of what he was selling.

“What do you want?” He croaked, slamming the door of a van, and leaning on it with his back.

“It is time to pay a debt if you dint mind,” Chloe took the money out of her bag and handed it to Frank. With obvious surprise, he took them from Chloe's hands and, having counted, slowly said:

“Where did you get so much dough?”

“Where I took it, there is no longer there,” she answered quickly. “I pay a debt, Frank, so fuck off”.

Chloe was just about to leave, as Frank slightly gave way and said:

“I hope this is clear money? You and your wierdo did not kill anyone and not robbed? I don't need to get in any kind of shit”.

“You're already in shit,” Chloe could not help herself, shrugging her shoulders and feeling relieved that he would get rid of her. ”The money is clean, do not worry. I’ll finally get out of this hole. The only pity is that Rachel is not with me.”

Chloe added the last phrase quite quietly as they walked toward the car, leaving Frank completely at a loss.

“Well, at least he didn’t behave himself as an asshole,” Chloe said, sitting behind the wheel. “Now time to pack it up. Max, are you with me?”

Chloe was happy and her confidence was in every movement she did. She drives a car calmly and Max was sure that she is making a plan for future in her blue-heard head. 

“Er… I think I should stay in Arcadia, Chloe. I am sorry…” said Max calmly because only one wrong word could change Chloe’s mood and they would have a big quarrel. But Max wants to be honest at least at this question. “I can’t leave Blackwell for no reason. My parent wouldn’t under-stand me. 

“Shit… Are you sure, Max? It was your dream to leave Arcadia and… Fuck the Blackwell! It is filled of these pompous children of rich parents. You go away from all this shit that is going on there. Let them all clear up the mess. Your parent will understand you just due to they know what Black-well and Wells can’t provide security for everyone. Your friend has gone! It means a lot. She com-mitted suicide just because nobody gave a shit about her condition. Wells doesn’t give a shit about students if they don’t have enough money for “donation” and… Max, listen, do you know how Prescott has entered Blackwell? His father has made a hu-u-uge donation and Well who, as we know, obsessed with money, but he doesn’t care about his work at all. He thumps every day because he hates himself. Everyone hates themselves here because they live under the heel of the Prescotts and other bastards. Do you want to be free? Do you want to forget? »

Max was silent listening to Chloe's monologue, who seemed to have forgotten everything. She never heard Chloe talk a lot about Blackwell because she hated that place. She hated the whole Arcadia because it took so many lives and hopes. But Max understood that she could not leave.

“I can’t” she shook her head. «Especially, soon there will be a storm and I would like to ...”

“Yes! Storm! Heck! I forgot completely” Chloe shook her head. “I can't convince my mother to leave, but also to leave... Leaving you and all memories about Rachel and all that. This is important to me, but, you understand...”

“Yes, I understand,” Max nodded, feeling the phone are vibrating in her bag. «Give me a sec”.

She took out a mobile: another message from an unknown number:

“I hope your friend is already far away. Are you preparing for the competition? Today at eight in the parking lot.”

Max barely restrained herself not to show her confusion before Chloe, and so she hurried to put the phone back in her bag. To guess who it was, it was not necessary to have extrasensory abilities. Na-than Prescott as himself. He knew about the money and noticed their loss, but Max simply did not understand why they should meet today. She was frightened by Nathan’s perseverance and the choice of a place to meet. Parking. Parking is a place where anyone could see them together. Parking lot - a place where Victoria could come at any time. How glad she would be if she saw them togeth-er. Involuntarily, Max shivered: eight p.m are not so late for a meeting, but it is always too late for her to meet a person like Nathan Prescott.

Competition? Since when is Prescott engaged in charity, or at least a little help? All these questions came back to Max’s head when Chloe parked the car near the house and quickly headed for her room. Max went behind, noting that none of Chloe's parents was at home, and at the upstairs, judg-ing by the sounds, Chloe was packing all her room into boxes. Going upstairs, Max discovered how quickly things are packing into suitcases and all the important trinkets are into boxes.

“Chloe, I wanted to ask about Prescott ... How did he enter Blackwell? I thought that they would not take anyone without talent even with big money ...”

“Max, don't be so naive. Wells is ready to sell his ass if someone offers him enough money. I remem-ber the time when Nathan was a frightened little boy in a blue plaid shirt.”

“Want to say he was not dangerous?”

“I want to say that his dad has a bad influence on him, but this does not negate the fact that he is an asshole. Max, give me that T-shirt. And ...” Chloe stopped for a moment, looking at Max intently and then said: “You look cool in this outfit. I take my words back.” 

“Max, help me,” she asked, stuffing T-shirts into a black suitcase. “I need to be in time before stepdildo coming. There are those discs”, she pointed to a pile at the TV. “Put in a box and sign it. Should I somehow entertain myself on the road and bring my shampoo and toothpaste from the bath-room”.

Max just nodded and went for things.

Forty minutes later, Chloe finished packing her things, and together they put it into the car, hiding not particularly valuable things with a tarp from the rain. Food and coffee in a thermos were stuck from the kitchen and now stay in the glove compartment. When they were already standing in front of the house, looking at it and Max, seeing that Chloe says goodbye to this place, did not rush her with questions.

“How many things were there ... How many memories: bad and good one, Max. More precisely, it was only bad things after my father’s death. I dreamed of escaping from here, and now I am stand-ing on the threshold of the house and ready to cry. This week is the most fucking awesome in my life, Max”. Chloe said quietly. “I met you, and now I have to leave. I met Rachel here, and now I'm leaving, without knowing where she went and whether she is alive. In a couple of days everything will be in ruins here, and I will be very far away. I have used to the fact that you stay here, but I don’t want it at all, because I cannot leave you to be torn apart by sick rich freaks. It will seem to you that I don’t give a shit about the death of Kate Marsh, but I do. I understand how you feel. It was the same with Rachel when she is gone ... Now I have to leave. Now I must leave you. Thank you, Max, you pulled me out of shit, and now I ...”

She did not finish. She was keeping silence, to not give free rein to her feelings. Max gently hugged her, feeling that Chloe needed it now. Chloe sighed heavily, tucked into Caulfield's shoulder, feeling the smell of her hair and light, even if cheap, perfume. She was real because this is what she so lacked all this time.

“I understand, Chloe. I can't leave even if I really want to. A lot of things keep me here, you know? But this time was the most awesome in my life too.”

In response, there was a deaf "Yeah." And Chloe, as if gathering her strength, walked a few steps away from Max and said:

“Sit down, drive you Blackwell in the last time”.

Chloe drove in complete silence, realizing that the words were absolutely unnecessary now and they did not need words to understand each other to feel this bitterness at the very tip of the tongue. Creepy, bitter-salty what is called parting. It was hard for them, but it was necessary. Both will then be happy.

Stopping in front of Blackwell, Chloe hugged Max, squeezing her tightly and letting go, almost not looking at her and in a slightly trembling voice said, turning her eyes to the side:

“You, Max, take care of yourself there. Do not let them put you down you, okay? Defend yourself. I know you can. Come on, Max, you are my hero of these days.

“Good, Chloe.”

Max lightly touched her hand, and then she hurried out, without turning around, followed to Black-well's campus, afraid to take another look at Chloe's battered pickup, which took off after a minute. Max unconsciously stiffened, unable to turn on the sound. The effect of de-Javu was stronger than ever: they only met, and now Chloe left.

“Good bye, Chloe,” Max whispered softly, moving toward the girl's dormitory.


	3. The Hell is empty

It was about two hours before Max should defenetly go to the meeting with Prescott on a parking lot. They have packed Chloe’s thing so fast as they can, so Max didn’t expect that she would have so much time to be alone. She wondered around campus, realizing that she has no desire to go to the dorm and to look at these hated faces. Max could stand even Tyler’s sympathetic glance; it was unusual for her because all Blackwell knows her as a mean person but after Kate’s death, she was so human and kind-hearted. Max couldn’t even realize Taylor’s mother has a problem with her back and Victoria is really supportive. At the beginning of this week Max was sure that Chase and her demons are litter of snakes who are waiting for biting someone who are weaker than they are. 

Max was sure that Chase didn’t know anything about their previous “date” with Prescott unless she has been already dead and buried. Queen of Blackwell would never forgive her. 

The sun was gradually setting, painting the walls of the Academy in a pleasant golden-orange color. Everything turned upside down and now Max felt her loneliness more clearly: Chloe left Arcadia to meet her dream and a quiet life, but she stayed here.

“There is no Chloe’ s fault, Max,” she said to herself, sitting down on a bench and taking a photo book from a bag. Max took it with her, as if knowing that she would have spent some time alone. “You did the right thing by letting her leave the place that caused her so much pain. The place where she lost the most precious people"

Max’s eyes have stopped on black and white photo, thinking about nothing, there was a photo a moment of human’s suffering: a woman bowed before a corpse of young girl, kissing her on forehead. For a minute, she stared at the photograph in the book with an unblinking gaze, feeling how the sticky thought of Rachel had crept inappropriately. The girl in the book was also somewhat similar to Chloe's missing friend.

“Where can I find you, Rachel, or you don’t want to be found at all? What place could you be hide that nobody has an idea where you have gone?” keeps asking Max in her head, turning the pages without focusing on famous photograph’s work and trying to find some source of inspiration “Or, maybe, you left not telling a word because you were… Scared? But the logical question is why? Everyone loved you and wanted to be you friend in Blackwell … I’m not like you”. 

The inspiration doesn’t want to come even after famous great works, filled of joy and happiness. 

The thought about Kate's suicide makes Max crazy and it is getting some sort of mundane, but no less gnawing and nasty. Every thought clung to each other so tightly, as if they were smeared with super glue: she needs to take photos to the contest if she wants to break into famous photographers, powers, Prescott. She could rewind a thousand times and not give Chloe the money, start this day from scratch. But Max was clearly understood that she made someone so happy today that she would never allow herself to rewind. She wants to make Chloe happy.   
“I tried to help Kate, but now she is dead. She is dead because of your fault and carelessness. Max, was it really so difficult to pay attention and care for her? Just answered that damn call and ... Just talk! No, Max, even here your weak soul was not capable of action!”

Max closed the book sharply and angrily, putting her elbows on the table and leaning on the book. The head was heavy and the different chaotic brain-teasing thoughts appeared in her head. Her conscience speaks quite but it feels like someone is whispering by soft mean voice on her ears. It convinces her that she is like Victoria.

“Kate was the first person who decided to start a friendship with you, and was cute no matter what. You could not help her and protect her from the Vortex and now you are trying to atone for sin. You are such a good friend, Max ... "

“God, shut up,” Max said weakly.

“Um, I didn't say anything,” a familiar voice said softly beside her. In an instant, Max looked up. Warren stood in front of her, smiling embarrassed and holding two cups of coffee in his hands, judging by the smell.

“I noticed that you felt terrible and decided to cheer up a little,” he explained, pointing at the cup with a nod. – “As far as I know, you like macchiato”.

“Thank you, Warren,” Max said embarrassed, trying to smile as joyously as possible. - Sorry, this "shut up" was not for you. Just into the void.

“Well, it became easier for me,” he tried to joke, sitting opposite, and holding out a cup. - I have already decided that you quietly hated me.

“You? Never!” she smiled, touching with cold fingers the hot walls of the cardboard cup. “It's just these days ... It is completely insane.”

“I understand” he nodded, sipping a little and wrinkling, said. “Sugarless. Forgot to take from the counter. So, how are you? Maybe we should talk? More precisely, to speak out”.

Max hesitated a little, twirling a cup in her hands. She took a sip of coffee and noted that there is a lot of sugar in her macchiato. She restrained herself not to frown. Caulfield drink coffee and tea without sugar and honey, preferring to feel the taste.

“Yes, probably worth it,” she breathed. “Do you believe that it is my fault that Kate committed suicide?”

“What?!” he was visibly taken aback by such words and said: “Max, you have nothing to do with it. Those who should feel guilty are the bastards from the Vortex: Prescott and Chase. As you can see, they don’t care about her death. No, Victoria, of course, can behave herself like she is grieving like everyone does. Yes, and you were the only one who helped Kate”.

“As far as I know, she was not at the dorm that night. I met Taylor, and she was confused” Max noticed, not paying attention to Warren’s tirade, and then, thinking better, added. “There is no sense in that I have tried to help Kate. She is dead and I am guilty of that”.

“What is your fault?” clarified he, taking a noisy sip of coffee.

“Kate called me before she died, and we talked about the party” Max replied, taking a shallow sip and almost feeling like coffee remained on the tongue. “She talked a lot about Victoria, and then said she wanted to go to the police. She was sure that there was something wrong in her wine because she always drunk it in her church… You know, they perform communion and Kate couldn’t get drunk by one sip. She also said that Nathan Prescott tried to help her so she wanted to go to police and…”

“What did you say?”

“I said that it was still early and there is no evidence”.

Warren did not answer, apparently thinking about Max’s decision and it was obvious that he was trying hard to understand why Max decided to dissuade Kate from going to the police. On the other hand, Max did not want the conversation to turn on the Prescotts, and she was absolutely unready for their second date with an oppressive feeling somewhere in her hear. She saw the clock’s arrow moved inexorably toward eight p.m.

“Why did you decide to dissuade her?” he finally asked. “It was more than a logical act, except for that ...”

“The fact that the police were bought by the Prescotts,” Max said with bitterness and anger in her voice, realizing that no matter how she tried, the conversation would still about Nathan and his family.

“Yes, I didn’t think about it,” Warren said guiltily. “But still there had to be some way to prove to everyone that Kate was a victim? Now it's hard to do without her, but we need to try”.

“Do you want us to try?” somehow indifferently asked Max. She still feels some emptiness inside. She was tired of the investigation and doesn’t want to think a lot. The sun warms her back in half and hour ago and now it disappears on spruces and getting colder with October twilights. She was warmed only by hot coffee in a huge cup and a weak belief that evil would be punished. It was just that faith was absolutely unsubstantiated by anything and Warren was so confident that they will be able to find some evidence about that night, just made them only smile hard. Nobody will help them and give free rein to some actions: everything in this city is bought. This well-known thought Max was not slow to tell Warren who had already managed to inspire the ideas of the posthumous salvation of Kate’s honor.

“Ok, well, I think not everyone is bought” said Warren, shrugged and done with his coffee, he thrown cup in the trash bin by one well-aimed shot.

“What do you mean?”

“David Madsen can help us” simply said Warren, noting Max disappointment. “Who do you want to be instead of him? Of course, it’s not God who knows, but he is also interested in finding someone who is behind all this”.  
“David Madsen is the last man on the Erath who cared about Kate.” said Max with annoy in her voice. “I saw he was screaming at her before the day when she jumped from the roof. After that he tried to bother me because I, as every student is Blackwell, had escaped from Guantanamo and wanted by CIA and Interpol”. 

“Max, I know that he is not the cutest person in all Arcadia but he wasn’t bought by the Prescotts and can Help us because…”

“Because he wanted to install cameras all around campus? » asked Max snappish, crossing her hand on chest and leaning back for a little. “I have never believed that David Madsen wanted to help”.

“You need to keep an open mind. We are dumb children for him, of course, but if we talk about the posthumous restoration of Kate’s reputation, he will help us like no other. Think about it, Max,” Warren peacefully suggested, and then after a moment's pause, not allowing Max to break out in a tirade that Madsen is the last person she would ask for help, hastily added. “By the way, about Victoria: you said that she joined the mourners that evening, but ... No. I saw her with Jefferson”.

“With Jefferson?” – asked Max softly. «I am not surprised. She is sniffing around him all the time and she is trying to win contest without even competing”.

“Well, you know, to meet with a teacher at night at the entrance to the Academy ... And they didn’t speak about the competition”. Max said extensively, seeing that the interest on the Max’s face was gradually reaching its maximum. “More precisely, about it too, but it is not important: Victoria offered him more than just partnerships”.

“It is so like she” snorted Max. “I don't think Mr. Jefferson will be guilty of her tricks.”

“No,” Warren shook his head. “He was confused and a little rude to Victoria, in my opinion. By the way, what is about your contest?”

“Nothing,” Max answered simply. “I cannot find anything to inspire and interest me. And the days go by very fast”

“How about taking a walk along the beach of Arcadia? Well, or go to a cafe, a movie ... “the guy hesitated a bit. “Yes, I know that these are not so inspiring places, but it can be useful for right photo”

“Yes, I think that would be great, and I could escape from unnecessary thoughts,” Max agreed, pressing the unlock button on the phone and seeing that she should be in the parking lot in twenty minutes. “I think I have to go. It got really cold. I think I should think about your proposal ...”

“Yes, think about it,” Warren smiled. “Can I walk you?”

“No, thanks,” Max shook her head. “Thanks for the coffee”.

Max got up from the bench and threw the cup into the bin in one motion and, hugging Warren, waited until he was completely out of sight and reluctantly trudged into the parking lot. There were no thoughts in her head, but only a dense feeling that she did not want to do this at all. 

It is getting dark when she was at a perking lot, hugging herself and feeling that it is so cold that a thick fabric of sweatshirts is not saved Max from cold. It was awkward and nasty just stay between cars under the lantern and wait for Prescott, who wasn’t in hurry, although it was already eight p.m. When Max began to tap with her toe on the ground with impatience, Nathan appeared. He looked as usual: gloomy and annoyed. Here is just a degree of hatred this time was lower than last time.

“Well, at least you weren’t late,” he muttered. “I never thought you were awarded punctuality. Come on”.

He went to his car which was parked in the farthest corner.

“Really, he was here all this time? What is an asshole!” Max thought irritably, but did not utter a word.

She silently sat in the back seat, where Nathan pointed with one motion, and a minute later he started the car and turned on the dark highway.

“I hope your punk friend doesn't show up here anymore,” he said in an unusually calm voice without the usual anger. “I don’t know how you could find so much money. I didn’t give you anything for last night”.

“I don’t need anything,” Max answered calmly. “Where are we going?”

“A man who needs nothing is a dead man,” Nathan shrugged and answered. “You will see. Don't ask too much questions, Caulfield”.

Max just rolled her eyes and stared out the window, noting that it was not so scary to go somewhere with Nathan at this time. At least she has the powers that will help her fix the situation. Half an hour later, Nathan stopped in front of the pier.

“Come out”

Max cautiously came out, seeing how the bright moon hung in the clear October dark night sky. The sea lay calmly at its very feet, licking the wooden pillars of the pier and carrying cold along with its waters. The lighthouse, towering over the whole city, illuminated the water surface with its pale beam of a searchlight. She heard Nathan slam the trunk lid, and involuntarily abruptly turned to this sound. In Nathan’s hands was something huge and soft, and, noticing Max’s concern, said

“Scary? Don’t worry I am not going to kill you” He grinned. 

Spreading a blanket on the hood of the car in one motion, and after opening the front door of the car, he pulled out two cups and a box from its inside. 

“Hold it,” he handed Max a hot cardboard cup with something sweet-smelling and it was clearly not tea.

"Cocoa? Max raised an eyebrow in surprise, trying to understand what is on his mind. “It’s not in Prescott’s style to have a Tumblr style vanilla tea party. I wonder, if he also has cocoa in a cup?”

“Take the sandwiches,” he asked, handing her a box. Max hesitantly took the first one, smelling fried bread and fish. These sandwiches were clearly not from the “Two Whales”, and the drinks were not bought in the first coffee shop.

“So why did you invite me?” asked Max quietly, drinking a little cocoa and feeling that she was not getting warmer. She would prefer to wrap herself in it with a blanket.

“Isn't that clear?” Nathan answered with a question, taking a sip.

“No,” Max admitted honestly, not fully understanding why Prescott was so kind to her. “Confessions is confessions, but real feelings - is completely different. - Chloe left. What do you want from me now?”

“I thought you understood that we were not here for Price,” Nathan shrugged. “Well, since you are a little tense with thought processes, I will probably explain: I just want to drink coffee with you and have a word or two. Is it clear?”

“God, are you damn serious?!”

“No,” Max shook her head. “It is unclear. Why don't you have this word or two with Victoria? She really has something to tell”.

“Caulfield, are you always so dumb or it is special for me?” He asked in a peace-loving tone, looking carefully at Max. Darkness hid his gaze, but Max almost physically felt a slight mockery and undisguised interest.

“Especially for you,” snapped Max. “Here everything is for you”.

“Well, well, you don’t need to pretend to have an unhappy and offended life out of yourself. You’ll eat a cookie,” he handed her a cookie, and then he put it into his hand with force.

“So still, why not Victoria?”

“You won’t shake, right?”

He asked in a tone of a doomed man, and then calmly continued. 

“Well, I don't like Chase. She does not touch me. Well, just imagine that you are looking at, for example, a reproduction of Mona Lisa: beautiful, elegant, in the best traditions of the original, but in your heart - nothing. So, with Vic: she is elegant, feminine, beautiful, graceful and smart. That's just quickly bored. Here you are, what kind of cakes do you like?”

“Donuts,” Max answered quickly, without thinking.

“Imagine you have a pile of it,” Nathan continued. “You can eat it from morning to night in unlimited quantities, and then at some point, you understand that you have eaten too much and hate donuts to the depths of your soul. So, it is with Victoria. Sorry for such cannibalistic orientation but I am overeaten.

“Phew,” Max answered shortly.

“It will be interesting with you, Caulfield and ... delicious,” he laughed, barely touching her shoulder with his own. “Tell me a little about yourself”.

“Are we in fifth grade?” Max responded sarcastically, realizing that a little more and cocoa would become cold and completely nasty in taste.

“So be it. No, I read your profile, but I'm interested in hearing everything from the firsthand. So, I read that you used to live in Seattle? Well, how is it? Why did you leave?”

“It happened, I just decided to move,” Max answered, confident that there was no sense in dedicating him to her biography. “It's rainy and cold there. I do not like rain”.

“What a strong argument,” Nathan laughed. “I don’t like Arcadia Bay and I like surfing, but somehow I haven’t moved to Miami yet”.

"It would be better to move."

“Well, what did you want to hear?”

“Like a photograph is my whole life and other vanilla shit, which anyone in Arcadia will say.”

“Suppose I like photography, but I also like literature and history, but I'm here, and not at any historical faculty,” retorted Max.

“By the way, about photography ... How are things doing with the competition? As far as I know, you don’t even have a sample for Jefferson, right?”

“But your friend Victoria has not only a sample version, it seems to me,” answered Max, barely restraining sarcasm, shrinking from the cold and gulping down the cooled cocoa.

“Why did you get attached to this Victoria? It seems to me that you have sympathy for her, since you mention her so often,” Prescott grinned. “I said this to the fact that it is in my ability to show you a lot of inspiring places where you can take photos. Not a masterpiece, of course, but not bad either. So that?”

“I have business,” she answered shortly, leaning her hands on the hood of the car and looking into the dark sky.

“Is it with that loser?”

“It's none of your business, Prescott,” Max said coldly, without turning her head to him, and at the next moment she felt how he squeezed her wrist tightly and, with a force turned on himself, said harshly:

“You're wrong, Caulfield, this is my business. Now it is mine. You know, I don’t go for a walk with every quiet little nerd around Arcadia in search of inspiration, and if you are going to go on a “mind-blowing” voyage through cafes and another shit in Arcadia, so I will prefer to save me from the obligation to spend the day with you”. 

“So, do you just want to spend some time with me?”. Mockingly wondered Max feeling that it is so hard to admit and say it like she is doing something wrong and the shittiest thing in her life. “Notice, I didn't say that.” 

“You are so fucking overthinking” coldly and harshly said Nathan, releasing her wrist which was squeezed so hard that Max almost feels lack of blood in her vines. 

Max did not answer, but only mentally rejoiced that Nathan did not point a gun at her and did not decide to end their meeting so ingloriously and bloodily. The rest of the time he was silent, apparently thinking about something and giving time to calm down. After ten minutes of heavy silence to the sound of the surf and the noise of the crowns of trees, Nathan said:

“Sit down, I'll take you to the dorm”.

There was not the slightest desire to resist. Only when she was in the warm car, she was internally glad that this strange day would finally end. Already in the dorm, Max immediately went to the shower, as if trying to wash away all the memories of a date with Prescott.

“He is completely different!” again remarked to herself Max with surprised. “Not like everyone knows him at Blackwell. He tried to joke, was calm enough and did not freak out. Well, perhaps once, and then, because it was about Warren. Can he really be normal without these pills and be a normal person, not a spoiled bastard? Why then is he not trying to be better? What or who is stopping him from doing this? ”

The dramatic change in the mood and behavior of Nathan greatly perplexed Max and, to her surprise and some shame, she realized that she was pleased to spend time with him. Much better than what was in the pastry shop last night, where he tried to pretended rich spoiled kid. He was alive. He wasn’t a sick psycho, from whom everyone flees like a plague, but an ordinary person who knows how to maintain a conversation.

“Everything is completely different with him than with Warren,” Max involuntarily compared, already lying in bed and looking at the ceiling. “Warren is deeply in love with me but always on the sidelines, and I just don’t believe in the love of the first sight, but everything is different with him ... The manner of talk, and the feeling that we are just brother and sister ".

Max grimaced, turning on her side and recalling that she had not set an alarm and there was a danger of oversleeping classes with Jefferson, who again would expect a miracle from her. Thoughts were malleable and chaotic: Warren suggested initiating an investigation into Kate’s death, and the main suspect is now completely indiscreetly hinting at some kind of sudden feelings. It was necessary to understand this, but only now Max Caulfield does it alone, having lost his partner in time and crimes.


End file.
